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352 Saint Ronan St, New Haven, CT 06511 • Zwena's parents' house

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352 Saint Ronan St, New Haven, CT 06511 • Zwena's parents' house.

| Friday May 28th 2021 • 03:38 AM |

Zwena left soon after Ben. Once Tahj walked into the living room, Zwena took the opportunity to leave knowing someone was there to watch Kuro and Bane, leaving Tahj utterly confused. Kuro was too big for the impulse trip she was about to make so she opted to task Hafsa, her assistant, with picking her up later today. Before her departure, she made the executive decision to text Ben one final time.

please don't do something you or people that care about you will regret.
be safe.
Read 12:57 AM

Seeing he'd read her message, Zwena didn't waste one more second stressing over him. She blocked his contact instantly. The beginning of a very long journey towards getting over Benjamin David Simmons.

Once again standing outside her parents' front door, Zwena seeks both guidance and reassurance. Knowing only her father would be up at this hour, Zwena does not stress about how she looks, he does not care much for perfection outside her career and education.

Zwena's Confessional:
My parents seem very cold and distant but they don't play about their children. Anytime I'm heartbroken I know to come to my dad, anytime I'm doubting my abilities and looking for someone to push me I know to look for my mum. They're the worst best people ever.

Moments after Zwena had lightly knocked on the door, a light comes on in the foyer before her father's towering silhouette comes to sight.

"Zwena?!" Akeem questions, shock clear as day in his voice. Behind his shock, you could pick up on the sheer joy of seeing his youngest. Picking up on her frown, his smile drops, mirroring his daughter's expression. "Indodakazi yami yini okungalungile?"

"I broke up with Ben, Baba..." Zwena sniffles walking into her father's comforting embrace.

"Get inside." Akeem asserts leading his daughter into the house and onto the circular couch that defined their family room. Zwena's words sent him right into protection mode, he was determined to do anything to cushion Zwena's hurt. "You wait here."

Akeem momentarily steps into the kitchen, coming back with an orange circular tub of homemade ice cream and two big spoons. Every other day after work, he'd come home and make ice cream in case any of his children dropped by after a bad day or celebrating something. He'd make blueberry for Mikel, mango for Izor, peach for Mekil, strawberry for Nehir, coconut for Malike, and apricot for Zwena.

Placing the tub on the pillow resting upon Zwena's blanketed legs, he sits next to her ready to listen. "So what happened?"

"You know about the one argument we've been constantly having. I've been thinking about how much less I'd have to stress over if I wasn't constantly having that argument. I realized if I can't get him to be loudly supportive, the next best thing is to end it all. Yadira at the brunch definitely pushed me farther to it but I was already thinking it. I'd been talking to Asmiah, Imahr and Shai, 'cause I couldn't possibly put Nikita in a situation where she had to pick between me and her cousin, they all also though this constant battle with Ben was causing more harm than good. So today - technically yesterday, I ended it and shockingly we had the same argument that's causing all this." Zwena explains not once breaking to check if her father was still following, he always was.

"And how do you feel now that it's over?"

"Like a huge boulder has been lifted from my shoulders. But at the same time, that boulder was dropped right on top of my heart, crushing it into many unsalvageable pieces..." Zwena graphically explains stabbing her spoon into the valley she'd created in the frozen dessert.

"I never liked that boy." Akeem comments shaking his head disapprovingly.

"Baba, you loved him." Zwena's face scrunches in confusion. Ben and her father got along very well, instantly connecting the very day they met.

"Yes, but now I hate him like I've hated him from the start. No one is worthy of dating my child, especially my Imbasa, if they're not screaming on rooftops about how great they are. Mikel can tell you that himself. The day he brought his now husband home, I made sure he proved to me he'd be loud and proud of my son. Of course no one will ever compare to how proud I am, but they can get close to it." Akeem proudly states looking down at his now giggling daughter rested upon his left shoulder.

"But it just hurts, Baba. I know he's a lesson but I don't see any way I can learn from this much pain." Once her giggling halted, the aching lump in her throat returned along with the burning sensation in her stomach.

"You know... Before I met your mother, I spent about six years in Kenya. Two of those six years I spent in a relationship with a woman I thought I'd grow old with. She was perfect in every right, fit all my values. Nothing could turn me away from her." Akeem fiddles with his daughter's fingers thinking back to his younger, experimental years.

"Then what happened? Why didn't you end up with her if she was so perfect?" Zwena questions, intrigued.

"I took off my rose colored glasses. Once I did that I saw that I was the one making her 'good'." He explains putting air quotes around the word good. "I was choosing to ignore all her red flags. So I didn't end up with her because she, like Ben, was a lesson. She taught me what good really means and if you're struggling to find good in a relationship and it's not organic, it's not really good. Of course that theory varies but it's true for the most part."

Receiving silence from a very awake and present Zwena, Akeem chooses to continue, "Your name, Zwena, is actually of Swahili origin and it means 'good'. The lesson she left me is far much better than the fantasy of a relationship we could've had. You're that good lesson, Imbasa. If i wasn't so broken from that relationship I wouldn't have gotten keen on my studies and met your mother. I wouldn't have gotten all you six, my most treasured accomplishments. So for me, the result of my lesson was a wonderful family. Yours may or may not be a family but it for sure will be tremendous growth and happiness."

°♡°
oh man i just KNOW papa tunzi's a dilf.

i'd also like to issue an apology to every south african there is 😭 ik there's like 72837483 inaccuracies.

how long will it take zwena to get over ben?

what lesson do you think ben left zwena?

all votes and comments are appreciated

- 💗

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